Cleaner shrimp

Lysmata amboinensis

InvertebratesSaltwater

Care level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef safe: Yes
Minimum tank: 100 L
Maximum size: 6 cm
Temperature: 24–27 °C
pH: 8–8.4
Diet: Omnivore

Care at a glance

The cleaner shrimp is perhaps the most rewarding invertebrate in the reef tank: it sets up a genuine cleaning station, waves its long white antennae and then goes cheerfully to work inside the mouths of fish ten times its size. Your own hand gets a cleaning too the moment you put it in the tank.

It is not fussy, eats up any leftovers and helps keep the tank tidy. Two together works well — they are hermaphrodites and often pair up. The usual shrimp rules apply here as well: slow drip acclimation, a stable salinity and absolutely no copper-based medication in the tank.